Eating Habits
by LordOfTheBooks
Summary: Richard Grayson has just lost everything…how will his eating habits change? Semi-crack one-shot.


**This is semi-crack, something I just thought of while eating cereal this morning because, you know, Robin loves cereal…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Young Justice.**

Richard Grayson had been at this "special" institute for traumatized children for a little over five month and, so far, he absolutely hated it. He had to suffer through group therapy and being caged in a hospital room. The worst part about it was that there were kids even more traumatized than him. Some refused to eat, others refused to speak and some didn't even come out of their rooms. In other words, it was the junior asylum.

Because Richard, or Dick for short, was at a juvenile detention center for three weeks prior coming to the institute, he learned how to eat anything eatable. That is, the food was so terrible there that he learned how eat anything digestible without vomiting. However, in the institute the kids were able to choose what they wanted to eat at a type of buffet. Dick wasn't that big of a fan of anything they served, but there was one item they had that he absolutely couldn't live without; cereal. Dick always loved cereal since he could remember. He often tried to eat it breakfast, lunch and dinner, but his parents told him that wasn't healthy.

His parents…he wished someone understood what it was like. Everyone here tried to help him and claimed that they knew how he felt and what he was going through. And sure, they understood; they understood until they wanted you to move on. To "get over it". Dick really did wish they would help because he was just sick of it all; sick of the nightmares, sick of pretending that he was okay. As selfish as it was, he wanted someone who has gone through what he went though. Someone who could feel his pain. But Dick was a smart kid and knew it was unlikely that would ever happen.

However, that's beside the point. The point is Dick loves cereal. At the institute, he began to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cereal became all that he ate. As an eight year old kid, he didn't think that this had any significance or that it'd be a problem. Apparently the doctors thought it was and addressed it so at one of the group therapy sessions.

There he was, sitting across from Dr. Jenkins in a circle of other kids that lived at the institute while Jenkins droned on and on about something no one cared about.

"What about you, Dakota? Why are you here?" Dr. Jenkins asked a small girl with pale skin and light hair sitting right next to Dick. Dakota didn't reply, and instead glared even harder at the ground.

Dr. Jenkins was an obnoxious man in his 40's who strongly resembled a rat. Instead of making kids open up like he thought he was doing, he was making them isolate themselves more and more all the while. Dick could understand why some kids would stop talking all together because of that man.

"Don't be shy, Dakota. Everyone here has had bad experiences on their life. We can all understand. The first step to recovery is admitting there's a problem."

A boy sitting a few seats away from Dick raised his hand. When Dr. Jenkins called on him the kid said, "Yeah, I got a problem."

Dr. Jenkins smiled with an annoying amount of arrogance. "See there Dakota? Albert over here is setting a great example. Yes Albert? What's your problem?"

Albert crossed his arms. "Yeah, the problem is _you." _ Dr. Jenkins face turned beat red, earning a few sinkers from around the kids around the circle.

Dr. Jenkins composed himself once more before saying, "Since you won't reach out to me, I'll reach out to you and address problems I've seen while you have been here. How about you, Richard? You have any difficulties adjusting? I mean, you _did _used to travel with the circus."

Dick simply shrugged. "I'm fine, sir." The truth was being there felt like torture to Dick compared to traveling with the circus. But he wouldn't tell _him _that.

Dr. Jenkins rose and eyebrow and smirked as if to insinuate he knew something Dick didn't. It made Dick want to punch him in the face. Seriously, how'd the guy land a job there?

"Are you _sure, _Mr. Grayson? Since you've been here, all you've eaten is cereal. Now why is that?"

Dick looked at the doctor suspiciously. Where was he going with this? "I like cereal."

The man who claimed to have a PHD in phycology snorted. "Richard, it's okay to tell me things. Does cereal make you feel like you're still connected to your parents? Is it because your parents always made you eat cereal, but you never did?"

"Ummm…."

"Look, I understand; I _really _do. When I was a kid, my next door neighbor always told me to stop playing baseball in his yard. A few years later, he died on a heart attack. I felt so terrible; like I somehow caused it by making him stress out by continuing to play baseball in his yard. As a result, I never did it again."

"So let me get this straight." Dick turned his head to his right and recognized the voice as a girl named Mallory. "You stopped playing baseball because an old fart bag kicked the bucket? You're stupider than I thought."

"Young lady, I am _talking _to Mr. Grayson right now. I will address _you _later." At this point the doctor was so flushed he looked like an angry tomato. He tried to calm himself down before looking back at Dick and giving him a very strained smile. "As I was saying, Richard, I understand your pain. You can tell me."

Dr. Jenkins was so off about Dick that he almost laughed but didn't, because he hadn't laughed or smiled since the death of his parents. "Uh, no, I just like to eat cereal."

Dr. Jenkins now just looked mad. "Richard, are you angry? You seem like you have a lot of pent up anger over the years. Were you rude and disrespectful to your parents when they were still alive, so you somehow feel the need to earn forgiveness by eating cereal?"

"I think he made it clear that he just likes to eat cereal, Doc," said Albert.

At that point, Dr. Jenkins snapped. He shook a finger in Albert's face and said, "_You _don't understand, _Albert. _He's clearly suffering and needs someone to reach out to! I'm here for you, kids."

"No, you're here for your paycheck," said Dakota.

Dr. Jenkins sunk low in his seat and put his head in his hands.

"I think he's the one that needs the therapy, not us," said someone Dick couldn't identify.

Dr. Jenkins took a deep breath to calm himself and met Dick's eye once more. "Richard, I'm trying to help you here. Mind telling me how you feel about the _incident?"_

_ "_Sad, I guess."

"Good," said Dr. Jenkins. "Now-"

Before Dr. Jenkins could continue Dick cut him off with, "And I'm kind of hungry for some cereal right now."

As Dick watched the all the amusing expressions of rage and whatnot cross the Doctors face, he couldn't help but crack his first smile in months.

**Ω**

Two weeks after the group session with Dr. Jenkins where Dick was confronted about his obsession with cereal, Mr. Wayne had taken him in as his ward. Dick had never been more grateful in his life.

Alfred picked him up from the institute and drove him over to the Wayne manor. Dick couldn't help but gape at its immensity. It was beautiful and scary at the same time. He couldn't ever imagine getting used to living there or what possessed Mr. Wayne to adopt _him, _orphaned circus freak, of all people.

Alfred insisted on carrying his single very light suitcase into the manor and up into his new room. Dick didn't know how long it would be until Mr. Wayne sent him back. Dick never wanted to go back there in his life, so he was determined to be on his best behavior. The last thing he wanted to do was give Bruce a reason to send him back.

Alfred was going to give Dick a full tour of the mansion, but before he would he asked Dick, "You must be hungry. What is it you would like to eat?"

Dick gave the man a timid look before softly replying, "Do you have any cereal?"

**THE END**

**Sorry it's not the best, but I tried…PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what you think! Advice and criticism is all very welcome! REVIEW! **


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